Unexplained Weight gain post revision

[starladustangel 270]

I had a revision for GERD/hiatal hernia repair/esophageal dysmotility 7/13.

The goal with my revision was to continue maintaining my weight. I had been in maintenance for 7 months the day of my revision.

I was 144 pounds the day of my revision.

At two weeks post op my weight was down to 133. I met with my dietitian who gave me a goal of 600-800 calories a day initially and to work towards getting back to 1200. She gave me meal plans for puree and soft foods

Week 3 I had gained back to 137. I was alarmed but thought maybe the initial weight loss was just Water weight and it would even out.

However it didn't stop. Week 4 I was back up to 139 and this week (week 5) 141. My fear is that if this continues i will be heavier than the day of my revision.

I am not constipated and am having regular bowel movements thanks to miralax.

I asked in a revision "support" group on Facebook but got mostly blame filled posts telling me to go back to my dietitian and that I must be eating too much or ridiculous suggestions to ask my doctor for phentermine.

I am diligent about weighing and measuring food and tracking what I eat. I was successfully maintaining my weight post sleeve so it is infuriating to be gaining weight while eating less.

I am still struggling with esophageal dysmotility and vomiting due to that. I can't get over 800 calories a day because of it and am weak and tired. I did see my gastroenterologist this week and was told I need a esophageal manometry done but we have to wait until I am fully healed from the bypass. I am still eating soft foods.

I have a follow up with my surgeon next week.

I want to add that I am not interested in losing more weight. I can't physically eat more and I do not buy into the idea that eating too little would cause weight gain. I just want to maintain my weight. I am really trying to eat as much as my dietitian has suggested but it's hard.

[mswillis5 127]

I want to preface this that I am not an expert, but I also didn't notice how much water/liquids you are currently consuming. I know that if you don't get enough Water in, that you will retain it until you have enough. If you are eating the proper calories which it sounds like, you wouldn't be gaining actual weight. Are you working out more? If so, then you might also be gaining muscle. I hope this helps but that is all that I can come up with. If you do continue with this weight gain problem, then checking with you dietician/surgeon may be a good idea as well.

[starladustangel 270]

2 hours ago, mswillis5 said:

I want to preface this that I am not an expert, but I also didn't notice how much water/liquids you are currently consuming. I know that if you don't get enough Water in, that you will retain it until you have enough. If you are eating the proper calories which it sounds like, you wouldn't be gaining actual weight. Are you working out more? If so, then you might also be gaining muscle. I hope this helps but that is all that I can come up with. If you do continue with this weight gain problem, then checking with you dietician/surgeon may be a good idea as well.

I am not working out. I can't due to other health issues. I walk on a regular basis but that's it. This isn't muscle.

I average 50 oz of Fluid a day. I already saw my dietitian. This is not diet related as I was successfully maintaining pre revision while eating more. I absolutely cannot physically eat enough calories to be gaining weight. I am also vomiting up much of what I eat.

My maintenance TDEE is 1548 calories to maintain 140 pounds. I am tracking my calories and averaging 800 in my fitness pal daily. I measure everything. Even if I was off at all I am not eating double that amount of calories. It's literally impossible. Again I was successfully maintaining while eating more.

This is completely unexplained weight gain and not diet related. I am so tired of suggestions to see my dietitian when I just saw her. I have a diet plan from her that I am following.

I have a follow up with my surgeon next week.

Edited August 19, 2021 by starladustangel

[NovaLuna 710]

Stress can cause weight gain so my best guess would be maybe that? Because it sounds like what's going on right now would stress anyone out. Sorry you're going through all that and I hope you can figure it out and that little bit of extra weight drops off!

[GreenTealael 25,330]

*Not a doctor, just personal experience plus asking doctors a lot of questions*

Not everything is food related after surgery, especially if you are diligently tracking and seeing a dietitian.

The temporary weight loss/gain could be:

1. Dehydration causing Water retention (noticed reduced urination? May need electrolyte supplementation)

2. Disruption of normal lymphatic activities because of surgery (excess Fluid still in circulation, puffy or swollen anywhere?)

3. Slight level of Constipation (still have waste that has not vacated despite amount of trips to the bathroom)

4. Inflammation after surgery (edema of the abdomen because of the laparoscopic procedure-usually immediate and not super common)

4. Return to your maintenance weight after temporary drop (happened to me in the first 2 months- 2 weeks post revision I hit 10-12 lbs lower than my maintenance weight then went back to normal)

5. Hormonal response (menses/menopause - I ALWAYS gain before my cycle )

6. Incorrect scale/discrepancy of scales used (I always weighed different amounts on doctor’s scales vs mine)

8. A combination of things

Please let us know what the surgeon says!

Edited August 19, 2021 by GreenTealael

[Creekimp13 5,840]

13 hours ago, starladustangel said:

I asked in a revision "support" group on Facebook but got mostly blame filled posts telling me to go back to my dietitian and that I must be eating too much or ridiculous suggestions to ask my doctor for phentermine.

Ugh. The longer I look at the boards, the more mental health pathology I see associated with weight loss surgery. People are nutty. Ignore the nonsense.

I won't even begin to guess why you've seen a weight bump. Sometimes it's just a damned mystery. The human body is freaking incredible at surviving...and it has tons of tricks up its sleeve to maintain homeostasis when it likes where it's at and doesn't want to change.

[starladustangel 270]

18 hours ago, NovaLuna said:

Stress can cause weight gain so my best guess would be maybe that? Because it sounds like what's going on right now would stress anyone out. Sorry you're going through all that and I hope you can figure it out and that little bit of extra weight drops off!

Going back to work has been stressful and exhausting so could be.

[starladustangel 270]

13 hours ago, GreenTealael said:

*Not a doctor, just personal experience plus asking doctors a lot of questions*

Not everything is food related after surgery, especially if you are diligently tracking and seeing a dietitian.

The temporary weight loss/gain could be:

1. Dehydration causing Water retention (noticed reduced urination? May need electrolyte supplementation)

2. Disruption of normal lymphatic activities because of surgery (excess Fluid still in circulation, puffy or swollen anywhere?)

3. Slight level of constipation (still have waste that has not vacated despite amount of trips to the bathroom)

4. Inflammation after surgery (edema of the abdomen because of the laparoscopic procedure-usually immediate and not super common)

4. Return to your maintenance weight after temporary drop (happened to me in the first 2 months- 2 weeks post revision I hit 10-12 lbs lower than my maintenance weight then went back to normal)

5. Hormonal response (menses/menopause - I ALWAYS gain before my cycle )

6. Incorrect scale/discrepancy of scales used (I always weighed different amounts on doctor’s scales vs mine)

8. A combination of things

Please let us know what the surgeon says!

Thank you

I do still have some pain on my right side which my surgeon's PA said is where the largest incision is and where I had adhesions and scar tissue from my sleeve. She told me it would take longer to heal because they stitched it very tight to prevent abdominal hernias. It is mostly ok but I still get pain bending there so inflammation is possible.

Menstrual cycle it's hard to say. I am 40 so could be in perimenopause but I have a Mirena IUD which mostly stops my periods.

I drink mostly Gatorade zero, Powerade zero and propel because that's what has tasted the best since revision and Miralax mixes well. I do ok on hydration getting 40-50 oz a day. My gastroenterologist has me do two caps of miralax to prevent Constipation and it is working.

I do feel like #4 is what makes most sense. I think I dropped Water weight rapidly due to the shock of surgery and bounced back up. As long as I don't keep gaining weight I'm fine here. My weight would fluctuate pre revision between 142-145.

Edited August 20, 2021 by starladustangel

[starladustangel 270]

13 hours ago, Creekimp13 said:

Ugh. The longer I look at the boards, the more mental health pathology I see associated with weight loss surgery. People are nutty. Ignore the nonsense.

I won't even begin to guess why you've seen a weight bump. Sometimes it's just a damned mystery. The human body is freaking incredible at surviving...and it has tons of tricks up its sleeve to maintain homeostasis when it likes where it's at and doesn't want to change.

Some of the Facebook groups are odd The strangest response I got was someone questioning why my surgeon would do a revision for GERD when I didn't need to lose more weight. And someone else questioning my dietitian for not having me on moderate carbs instead of Keto. She's been my dietitian for 2.5 years since I was pre op VSG. Thank you

[Burchie 1]

Watch your carbs and focus on Protein. Drink Water.